I Defied the Odds

An unexpected victory? A snapshot of an unlikely moment? This week, show us something that defies the odds.

I Defied the Odds

In this more recent picture I was admitted to the hospital with high fever and chills, being diagnosed with a severe bladder infection. They ran a central IV line into my arm, through a vein, to a large central vein of the heart. I spent three days receiving antibiotics through the I V. They finally got the infection under control and I was allowed to go home. I considered this one ‘more’ time in my life when I was lucky enough to go against the odds. To defy the odds is really my life story. I feel very fortunate, exceedingly thankful!

I was diagnosed with a neurogenic bladder in 1985. That pretty well means your bladder doesn’t work right anymore and your subject to everything that entails, plus infections. In most cases an indwelling catheter is used to eliminate the urine from the body. In my case, I somehow learned to manage to empty my bladder by forcing downward pressure with everything below my diaphram, all of my guts pushing against the bladder to empty it out. My bladder was pretty much an empty sac, with no muscle left in it. This self learned process has worked out well for me. Doctors through the years have wanted me to use a catheter, if I had, I probably would have had multiple infections and been dead by now. I take high doses of cranberry supplements and vitamin C daily, also try to drink lots of fluids.

My bladder problems go all the way back to 1964 when I had a spinal fracture, nerve damage was done to my bladder and bowel control. I spent three months in the hospital in 1964 on a Stryker Frame. I walked out of that hospital with the use of nothing but a cane. Some felt at that time, it was against the odds.

After about a year of recovery, I spent close to 20 years on many different jobs. My original spinal cord injury continued to slowly take its toll on my body. Syringomyelia started destroying my spinal cord from the inside. I was not diagnosed until 1985 with that rare condition. I have had two different drains, “shunts” placed in the spinal cord to relieve spinal fluid pressure build up. I can still walk today. I need a walker to hang on to. Life is good, even when it’s not so good, sometimes we have to just defy the odds.